Love Finds A Way

by C. P. Watson

  Sending a text to her driver, to inform him that he should pick her up at eleven, she threw her phone inside of her purse and exhaled a low breath. Jennivine, then, came back over with her beverage.

  “Thank you, Jenny.”

  Blair smiled sweetly at the blonde, noticing that she, at least, managed to make the woman blush.

  “I’ll put your order in now.”

  Jennivine said realizing that she should have put the order in before making the tea. Blair just gave her a nod and Jennivine took that as permission to go ahead without having to hear any complaints.

  Jennivine placed the order to the kitchen and went to check on the other pair of customers, before heading back behind the reservation desk to wait on something else to do. There wasn’t much to do around the little restaurant, especially on a Tuesday morning.

  A loud sigh escaped her lips when she thought about how much Rosalie enticed her. She still felt foolish for continuously asking the woman to leave that day. But she was just doing her job, right?

  Tapping the tips of her middle and index fingers against her notepad, Jennivine closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. Her anxiety had no right to affect her behavior at work. Just because her wife of two years died, didn’t mean that she could have an emotional breakdown in public. She had to pick herself up, dust the dirt off and smile. Life goes on. She needed to learn how to live without having to depend on anyone but herself. Independence was the most expensive luxury, and failure was the worst fear—to her anyway.

  “Jen, right?”

  The blonde was snapped out of her thoughts when those dark brown eyes met hers once more.

  “Y… yea.”

  She stuttered as though a frog was stuck inside of her throat, but that was certainly not the case. The young woman had startled her, at the very least, and Jennivine didn’t like surprises.

  “You okay there?” Rosalie arched her brow in question, amusement filling her chocolate-colored eyes. “You seem a bit frazzled, do you need a break to get better or something… or the day off…?”

  Jennivine swallowed and gave the beauty a small smile, followed by a no to her concerns.

  “You just startled me. Is there anything you need me to do?”

  The blonde pressed her lips together and looked down at her notepad.

  “No, nothing of the sort. I’m just making sure that we’re good. I probably came off as a wacko, and I just wanted to clear the air.”

  Rosalie’s laugh sent that feeling to rush through the blonde’s veins again. What was it called? Chills.

  Jennivine gave a slight nod and grazed her teeth together in discomfort.

  “It’s totally fine. I apologize for being so… unwelcoming?”

  Rosalie flashed the waitress a smile and slid her fingers through her raven locks.

  “You were just doing your job.” The blonde nodded and moved her eyes behind Rosalie to give a look over at her tables. She had already served the flirtatious woman her drink, and was still waiting on Pedro to finish up on the meal. As for the couple, they seemed more interested in each other than the mimosas and crepes in front of them. “Oh, by the way, has that Rosalie Breakfast Special been getting any interest? As much as I love Lee naming an item after me, it makes me a bit anxious to know what customers think.”

  “Actually, the woman at table thirteen just ordered it. I’m gonna check if Pedro’s finished with it.”

  Jennivine walked towards the kitchen relieved that she escaped prolonging the conversation. She didn’t appreciate the things that she felt when she was around Rosalie.

  As she neared the kitchen, she let out a muffled breath and held her stomach in.

  Be strong. Be brave.

  She chanted in her head. Some days were just harder than others.

  “What do you think about the boss’s girlfriend?” Pedro asked as Jennivine entered the kitchen through the double doors. He grabbed a square shaped, eggshell plate and rested it onto the countertop, before turning his attention fully on the blonde. “Any observations? Critiques? You definitely seem like the opinionated type.” The blonde scoffed and headed over to the croissants on the counter to count them, just to avoid calling Pedro out on his insinuations. “And the cute girl doesn’t speak?”

  “Would you shut up? It’s not my place to judge, okay?”

  Pedro lifted his hands up in surrender before beginning to plate the food.

  “They are pretty cute, don’t you think? I mean, age difference aside, the boss is one lucky woman.”

  He let out an earnest chuckle.

  “My opinion has no value.”

  Jennivine placed the plate on a serving tray and felt her heart pull inside of her chest. She definitely had an opinion, but she wasn’t willing to share it.

  “Let me do the garnish, and then you can take it to Miss Hotstuff out there.”

  Jennivine crossed her arms over her chest, nearing to being completely annoyed by the tall, middle-aged man, with a tendency to comment ridiculous remarks.

  “So you've been checking out the customers too? I thought it was only your superiors.”

  Pedro sprinkled finely chopped parsley around the rim of the plate as he spoke.

  “You may be insinuating something you shouldn’t.” Jennivine grinded her teeth together and picked up the serving tray. “Mind telling boss number two that her pizza is ready?”

  “Rosalie?”

  He opened the oven and took out the pan. The aroma grazed against Jennivine’s nostrils and ignited her taste buds. If the pizza tasted anything close to how it smelled, Pedro could open his own Pizzeria.

  “Yes. The boss’s girlfriend.”

  Pedro gave Jennivine an amused look as he placed the pan on the countertop, the smell intensifying the increasing hunger in her stomach.

  “Oh. Yeah. I will.”

  Jennivine felt a blush heating up her cheeks. Rosalie’s name suited her perfectly, and the dish, as well.

  Walking out of the kitchen, the aroma continuing to send a craving to entice her hunger, she rested the beautifully garnished plate in front of Blair.

  “Is there anything else I can get you, ma’am?”

  Blair smiled aimlessly and shook her head in satisfaction. The smell increased her appetite and encouraged her to dig into her meal.

  “No. That’ll be all. Thank you, Jenny.”

  Jennivine nodded and walked over to the reservation desk.

  Blair took a sip of her Chai tea and allowed her eyes to roam around the room. She noticed a woman, who wore a pair of black leggings and a tight-fitted, blue t-shirt, standing at the bar. The redhead allowed her eyes to travel along the slope of the woman’s back and towards her nice ass. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip as she took full advantage to appreciate the belle from behind.

  Crossing her legs, in an attempt to keep her hormones intact, she continued to study the beauty from afar, allowing herself to stare without precaution.

  Then, the woman turned.

  Blair’s eyes widened as they met those of dark brown, and an unusual feeling rushed to the pit of her stomach. Those rich, brown eyes intently stared without hesitance, as if Blair was the only woman in the room, yet it felt like something the beauty did often.

  Damn, she’s beautiful.

  With her black, curly hair and curvaceous body, Blair had to reconsider her type. Her gorgeous eyes and light brown complexion enticed Blair far beyond her own belief. A heavy blush rushed to her cheeks when she realized that the woman was still looking back at her, and amused nonetheless. The redhead gave a bashful smile and refocused her eyes in front of her.

  Play it cool. Play it cool.

  She couldn’t help but look up at the beauty again, and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she noticed that the woman was walking towards her.

  “Do you mind if I ask how your meal is?”

  Rosalie questioned as she stood next to the redhead’s table. She took a glance at the cup of Chai tea and the single ro
se, which made her smile. Blair placed her fist against her lips and cleared her throat.

  “Uh. Not at all. But I haven’t tried it yet.”

  Rosalie ran the tip of her index finger over the silver of the necklace around her neck, causing Blair’s eyes to follow her movements. There was something so beguiling about Rosalie’s movements that engaged Blair’s eyes with intensity.

  “Then I’m sorry for interrupting you. Enjoy your meal.”

  Blair’s breathing had paused since Rosalie stepped in front of her. Her heart sprung inside of her chest, and her eyes, they couldn’t look away, even if she wanted to.

  “You can sit with me. And I’ll let you know what I think as I eat… if you want that, of course.”

  She inhaled deeply and pressed her knees together. Her body was heating up from embarrassment, and having the gorgeous woman staring intently at her was not helping at all.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d love to.”

  They both smiled as Rosalie sat down on the chair opposite Blair’s—the two-seater fully occupied.

  “I’m Blair, by the way.”

  Rosalie allowed her eyes to roam over the woman’s facial features—light brown eyes and full, pink lips. Her red hair seemed to either be dyed or the gorgeous woman in front of her was blessed with natural, red hair. Rosalie always had a thing for redheads, not that she would ever admit that to her brunette-haired fiancée.

  “I’m Rosalie.”

  Rosalie couldn’t deny that the stranger was attractive, but she also had to remind herself that she just got engaged to the love of her life, and that Lee wouldn’t appreciate her checking other women out.

  “Such a beautiful name.” Did I really just say that?

  Rosalie gave a grateful smile and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. She’d often wondered why people thought her name was beautiful. Not that she disliked her name, but it always seemed that everyone eluded from the fact that since her name originated from the word rose, that she’d be that of a rose—beautiful—on the inside and out. But most forgot that roses had thorns, and Rosalie definitely had some sharp edges. She was underestimated for the most part—her beauty alleviating the worth of her personality and intelligence. And, Rosalie was indeed brilliant—she’d rather everyone to appreciate her mind, instead of her body.

  “So Blair, how’s your meal?”

  Rosalie placed her hands on the surface of the table and crossed her ankles. She’d always found it difficult to cross her knees without feeling uncomfortable.

  “It’s named after you, isn’t it?”

  Blair quirked her brow as she took a bite of the crispy bacon, along with a piece of cheesy omelet. She’d wondered if Rosalie was the owner of the restaurant, or probably the chef.

  Rosalie smiled before noticing that Jennivine was walking over to the table. As soon as the blonde heard Rosalie’s voice, she nearly stumbled over her own two feet.

  “The one and only.” Rosalie grinned. Her voice gave Blair’s nerves a soothing sensation, and made her heart skip a beat, a few times. “My fiancée thought that it would be a nice add to the menu. I’m not sure it was necessary to be named after me.”

  Blair’s fork almost slipped out of her hand and she held in a shriek. She should’ve known better than to think such a gorgeous woman was single. Her chest rose with increasing discomfort. She needed to leave before she did something that she’d regret.

  “Your, uh, pizza is ready.”

  Jennivine felt her cheeks heating up. She’d never felt so nerve-wracking by the mere glance of someone’s piercing gaze, or the sensuality of their soothing voice.

  “Can you bring it out for me, please?”

  Jennivine nodded and hurried off into the kitchen. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like Rosalie noticed her clumsiness, or maybe, she did. She gulped and her breathing became inconsistent. Maybe, it just didn’t matter.

  Rosalie pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side. There was something about the woman in front of her that intrigued her. Maybe, it was the shock that flushed Blair’s entire face when she found out about the engagement, or the hesitance in her eyes to leave.

  “I only came over to ask about the meal, nothing else.”

  Blair looked down at Rosalie’s hands on the table and noticed the ring on her finger. How didn’t she before? God knows.

  “I apologize.”

  Jennivine came back over with the pan of pizza and rested it in front of Rosalie. She swallowed and gave the beauty a smile, which she got in return, but it wasn’t as sincere as she’d hoped. Letting out a heavy sigh, she found it difficult to look away.

  “Thank you.”

  Jennivine felt defeated. She hastily removed her eyes and headed over to the kitchen again, only to almost stumble into her boss.

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay, Jen.”

  Lee waved her off as she neared finishing her conversation with her son. She felt relief fill her chest as she hang up. Henry was a senior year in high school and lived with her ex-wife.

  She placed her phone inside of her trouser pocket and her eyes searched for her lover. An uneasy feeling rushed inside of her chest when she spotted the woman seated across another. Walking over to the table, Rosalie’s eyes met Lee’s instantly and a smile sprouted onto her lips.

  “Blair, this is Lee, my fiancée. Darling, this is Blair.”

  She introduced, her smile never faltering. A sudden guilt rose inside of her chest, because she knew that Blair was definitely flirting with her. But that didn’t mean Rosalie was flirting back.

  Blair felt a gigantic lump in her throat as she looked at the woman in front of her. With an extremely deep inhale, she managed to speak without making a fool of herself.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Lee.”

  “Likewise, Blair.”

  The tension could be felt by all three women, and Rosalie’s smile finally faltered. She muttered a profanity under her breath, as she noticed the frown on Lee’s face.

  Blair could feel her heart rate increasing rapidly as she looked at the brunette. She sighed and looked down at her barely touched meal, her brown eyes missing those of a darker shade.

  “Darling, do you want to join us? I was asking her about the meal.”

  “Of course, sweetheart.”

  Lee pulled a chair from another table and took a seat in between the two.

  “How’s your pizza? I half expected you to try your signature meal instead.”

  Blair’s chest tightened because of their close contact. Needless to say, she was envious.

  “My appetite differs, darling.”

  Lee smiled and interlinked her fingers with Rosalie’s. She felt intimidated by the woman that sat next to them, and needed to make clear that Rosalie was hers.

  “It was lovely meeting you two, but I have an event to attend.”

  Blair stood and placed a hundred dollar bill onto the table before walking away. She felt uneasy and suddenly irritated. Her day just took a turn for the worse.

  “She didn’t even say if she liked it.”

  Rosalie hoped that Lee was not too upset, because in some way, she did unintentionally play a part in it. It wasn’t her fault, right? She couldn’t help it if Blair found an interest in her.

  “We know what she definitely liked.”

  Lee placed a kiss on the back of Rosalie’s palm. Her nerves felt settled since the redhead left. And her relationship felt more secured.

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  Her Touch

  An Excerpt

  I looked around as the other students made their way inside of the classroom and took seats, unsubtly eyeing me since I was the new girl. I sighed tapping my led pencil against my textbook, as I waited for the teacher to arrive. It was the second period of the day, but I didn’t have a class for the first period, so I came later than most.

  I heard whispers and unwanted chatter around me, knowing that their topic of choice was none other than myself
. They knew that I wasn’t from around there, but their parents knew my mother, who had moved away a long time ago. I was, of the same nature, like everyone else in that little town, though they judged me by my appearance.

  The teacher then entered the class, her glasses hiding her eyes and most of her facial features. She didn’t look at me like the rest of them did, which I was pleased with.

  I didn’t know what was so different about me compared to the rest of them, just because I seemed different, I was considered an outsider. I was never the cheerful or enthusiastic type. My attitude made them know I was unlike them. It was not something I did on purpose—to portray myself at a higher standard, but that was just how I was.

  “Good morning class,” she greeted and rested her handbag on top of her desk, along with some folders, “I’m Miss Reese, I know we don’t do this, since most of you already know each other, but there is a new student, so please introduce yourselves.”

  She smiled and scanned the classroom of students before her eyes landed on me. I groaned, not in the mood to receive unwanted attention. I stared down at my textbook as someone spoke.

  “I’m Jeremiah Hennessy. I’m the Captain of the Math Club.” I lifted my eyes only to see him with his arms crossed over his chest as he stared right back at me.

  “Shut up Jerry, who cares about you?” The boy next to me spat. Jerry looked dumbfounded and his confidence immediately disappeared.

  “Detention after school. Cole, you know that I don’t tolerate that kind of behavior in my class.”

  The boy groaned and crossed his arms over his chest. The introductions continued, making my mind get more and more lost in thought. When I felt a tap on my shoulder, I almost poked the teacher with my pencil as a reflex, luckily I came to my senses just in time.